Central Station and its surrounds are currently subject to proposals for substantial over-development into a tech precinct that will damage the heritage fabric and character of the area. Find out what's been proposed and how you can help raise a voice against this final stage of the damaging rezoning of Central.
The proposals include building over the platforms of Central Station itself, over the Paint Shop in Eveleigh, and on top of the landmark Parcels Post Office Building at Railway Square. The National Trust (NSW) opposes this overdevelopment as it dwarfs the readability, context and familiarity of this heritage precinct.
Building over Central Station
The Central Station rezoning proposal aims to:
- Rezone the precinct for substantially greater heights
- Enclose the country platforms
- Build multiple high-rise towers over the top of Central Station
The National Trust opposes this for a number of reasons:
- The station and clock tower were designed to be a landmark structure visible from afar, and the rezoning for skyscrapers means it will be obscured and dwarfed by the surrounding architecture.
- Enclosing and building over the country platforms will significantly change the character of the station. The country terminus platforms follow the quintessentially Australian station format – with access to the skies and the weather and the great outdoors. To internalise this zone will be to sever its connection to the surrounding world.
- Large scale changes to the area will damage and demolish parts of the heritage fabric, and change the views and outlook to and from the station, including obscuring the clock tower from the proposed new east-west concourse that is proposed.
Redfern-Eveleigh Paint Shop
The Paint Shop redevelopment proposal includes:
- Inadequate evaluation of the heritage significance of the Paint Shop and its curtilage
- Rezoning the space for multi-storey buildings on almost all of the directly adjacent land
- A multi-storey development spiraling through the centre of the Paint Shop itself.
The National Trust is opposed to this for a number of reasons:
- Improper heritage evaluation and consideration means important elements of our railway heritage can and will be lost to development
- Large scale development directly adjacent to the Paint Shop will obscure the building’s visibility, hide heritage curtilage and change the low rise character of the Carriageworks precinct
- A multi-storey development cutting through the heart of the Paint Shop building will damage its integrity in countless ways – from its architecture to its physical fabric to its historical integrity.
- Building over the saw-tooth roofs of the Paint Shop building removes one of its single most important architectural elements.
Western Gateway Precinct
The development of the Central Station Precinct that fronts Railway Square is referred to as the “Western Gateway” and there are several proposals in this area.
An approved tower of over 200m in height for Atlassian sits atop the historic small scale Central Station Parcels Shed, while a current tower proposal by TOGA is built upon the Former Parcels Post Office. Both of these proposals are on top of historic buildings within the State Heritage Register boundary for Central Station, and involve significant demolition.
As with the Central Station and Paint Shop rezonings, the scale of the Western Gateway Precinct overwhelms and overshadows the historic area. Combined, these precincts monopolize and degrade the heritage fabric, memory and character of Central Station and its surrounds. The railway history of NSW and Australia should not be lost to overdevelopment, and any rezoning or renovation to the area should instead do as much as necessary…and as little as possible (Burra Charter).
What can you do to help?
The Central Station Rezoning proposal is currently on exhibition, and you can make a submission here.
Raise your voice against this final stage of the damaging rezoning of Central before submissions close on October 4 2022.
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I cannot get the link to work and therefore cannot make a submission re the Central Station Redevelopment.
Also, getting to this stage was not easy. You should have a central “email us” link. You’ve made it so difficult I almost gave up.
Hi Geoff, we agree that the government’s website for making submissions is difficult to navigate. The Trust is a non-government charity and experience similar frustrations when making submissions.
The purpose of sending this out on Oct 5, a day after submissions close, is what exactly? Fortunately, I am in favour of the development as the heritage is preserved whilst progress is enabled.
Very disappointing to receive this email about Central Station proposal, as I would have gladly sent my objections, if I had received the email before today 5/10, when objections closed on 4/10.
The National Trust is again opposing development for its own promotion.
No significant heritage item is to be demolished. The arguments about vision of the clock tower from the south are spurious and irrelevant. The tower is significant. It will remain untouched under these proposals.
The National Trust locks up the items it has entrusted to it. In Europe, Israel and other counties with significant heritage values worthy buildings are adapted and altered to fit new uses. This creates a living environment where heritage is used.
The National Trust is only obstructionist. If the Trust wants to be relevant it needs to offer constructive criticism with suggestions on how to accommodate growth and adaption.
It is too late to make a submission as I read about the Central Railway overdevelopment today. I was appalled. It is caused by greed on behalf of the government and developers. Think Powerhouse Museum, Parramatta heritage etc. When will they ever learn? Very sad. I support the work of the National Trust. Please keep us up to date with future news on the proposal.
With regard to Geoff’s comment about difficulty to connect with address for comments to be sent to I totally agree as my lack of IT knowledge is a barrier; I also totally agree with Chris about sending out request for comment 1 day after closure date for receipt of comments BUT for what it is worth I am HORRIFIED about the plans for Central Railway to SUFFER the building plans publicised. I was 2 weeks from turning 7 in 1944 when I arrived at Central Railway Station at about 6am on a night train from Cooma to be met by a boarding school mistress who then took me to my first ever boarding school. For the next 10 years that railway station epitomised certain emotions – sorrow at leaving my country family for another 12 weeks, but also excitement about catching up with my school friends. At the end of those 12 weeks there was enormous excitement at once again being taken at about 8pm to Central Station to board the 9pm train to Cooma and my family and my farm animals. Now in 2022 I still get a thrill when I am using Central Railway Station to enable me to travel within Sydney or to near or far distant locations in Australia. It is a grand building which stands PROUDLY at the southern end of the CBD of Sydney looking north to another iconic compelling structure – Sydney Harbour Bridge. To clutter up the open space around Central Railway Station with boring high rise buildings denies the history of the area and continues the KILLING of Sydney.
I am disgusted with the lack of respect by the Authorities for our heritage and for a wonderful building both in its appearancea and the way that it handles large volumes of traffic.
It is incredible that our heritage buildings are destroyed or defaced. Presumably this is caused by the greed for money by our Government and our developers.
It is well known in more intelligent countries that preservation of heritage buildings and their enviroments is an important part of attracting tourists and citizens to their countries.
I am disgusted with the lack of respect by the Authorities for our heritage and for a wonderful building both in its appearancea and the way that it handles large volumes of traffic.
It is incredible that our heritage buildings are destroyed or defaced. Presumably this is caused by the greed for money by our Government and our developers.
It is well known in more intelligent countries that preservation of heritage buildings and their enviroments is an important part of attracting tourists and citizens to their countries.
The most crudely offensive building is the proposed Toga building which blatantly and with no respect for heritage values plunges an ugly concrete pillar through the rear section of the old Parcels Office (rarely shown in the idealised developer’s illustrations) so that the new building can be increased in size by having a ‘wing’ overshadowing the old building.